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The Refutation of All Heresies
Authorship uncertain
Book 7 · Chapter 10 About this work A large heresiological work tracing contested Christian teachings to Greek philosophy, mystery traditions, astrology, and magic, then setting them against the author’s account of apostolic truth.
Author Authorship uncertain
Traditional attribution Hippolytus of Rome
Date Early 3rd century, probably c. AD 220s
Origin Rome (traditional)
Genre Heresiology Traditional attribution to Hippolytus remains disputed, and the author is often called the Refutator.
Chapter X.—Origin of the World; Basilides’ Account of the “Sonship.” All things , therefore whatsoever it is possible
‹ Book 7 · Chapter 9 Book 7 · Chapter 11 ›
to
declare
,
and
whatever
,
being
not
as
yet
discovered
,
one
must
omit
,
were
likely
to
receive
adaptation
to
the
world
which
was
about
to
be
generated
from
the
Seed
.
And
this
(
Seed
)
,
at
the
requisite
seasons
,
increases
in
bulk
in
a
peculiar
manner
,
according
to
accession
,
as
through
the
instrumentality
of
a
Deity
so
great
,
and
of
this
description
.
(
But
this
Deity
)
the
creature
can
neither
express
nor
grasp
by
perception
.
(
Now
,
all
these
things
)
were
inherent
,
treasured
in
the
Seed
,
as
we
afterwards
observe
in
a
new
-
born
child
the
growth
of
teeth
,
and
paternal
substance
,
and
intellect
,
and
everything
which
,
though
previously
having
no
existence
,
accrues
unto
a
man
,
growing
little
by
little
,
from
a
youthful
period
of
life
.
But
since
it
would
be
absurd
to
say
that
any
projection
of
a
non
-
existent
God
became
anything
non
-
existent
(
for
Basilides
altogether
shuns
and
dreads
the
Substances
of
things
generated
in
the
way
of
projection
for
,
(
he
asks
,
)
of
what
sort
of
projection
is
there
a
necessity
,
or
of
what
sort
of
matter
must
we
assume
the
previous
existence
,
in
order
that
God
should
construct
a
world
,
as
the
spider
his
web
;
or
(
as
)
a
mortal
man
,
for
the
purpose
of
working
it
,
takes
a
(
piece
of
)
brass
or
of
wood
,
or
some
other
of
the
parts
of
matter
?
)
,
—
(
projection
,
I
say
,
being
out
of
the
question
,
)
certainly
,
says
(
Basilides
)
,
God
spoke
the
word
,
and
it
was
carried
into
effect
.
And
this
,
as
these
men
assert
,
is
that
which
has
been
stated
by
Moses
:
“
Let
there
be
light
,
and
there
was
light
.
”
Whence
he
says
,
came
the
light
?
From
nothing
.
For
it
has
not
been
written
,
he
says
,
whence
,
but
this
only
,
(
that
it
came
)
from
the
voice
of
him
who
speaks
the
word
.
And
he
who
speaks
the
word
,
he
says
,
was
non
-
existent
;
nor
was
that
existent
which
was
being
produced
.
The
seed
of
the
cosmical
system
was
generated
,
he
says
,
from
nonentities
;
(
and
I
mean
by
the
seed
,
)
the
word
which
was
spoken
,
“
Let
there
be
light
.
”
And
this
,
he
says
,
is
that
which
has
been
stated
in
the
Gospels
:
“
He
was
the
true
light
,
which
lighteth
every
man
that
cometh
into
the
world
.
”
He
derives
his
originating
principles
from
that
Seed
,
and
obtains
from
the
same
source
his
illuminating
power
.
This
is
that
seed
which
has
in
itself
the
entire
conglomeration
of
germs
.
And
Aristotle
affirms
this
to
be
genius
,
and
it
is
distributed
by
him
into
infinite
species
;
just
as
from
animal
,
which
is
non
-
existent
,
we
sever
ox
,
horse
,
(
and
)
man
.
When
,
therefore
,
the
cosmical
Seed
becomes
the
basis
(
for
a
subsequent
development
)
,
those
(
heretics
)
assert
,
(
to
quote
Basilides
’
own
words
:
)
“
Whatsoever
I
affirm
,
”
he
says
,
“
to
have
been
made
after
these
,
ask
no
question
as
to
whence
.
For
(
the
Seed
)
had
all
seeds
treasured
and
reposing
in
itself
,
just
as
non
-
existent
entities
,
and
which
were
designed
to
be
produced
by
a
non
-
existent
Deity
.
”
Let us see , therefore , what they say is first , or what second , or what third , ( in the development of ) what is generated from the cosmical Seed . There existed , he says , in the Seed itself , a Sonship , threefold , in every respect of the same Substance with the non - existent God , ( and ) begotten from nonentities . Of this Sonship ( thus ) involving a threefold division , one part was refined , ( another gross , ) and another requiring purification . The refined portion , therefore , in the first place , simultaneously with the earliest deposition of the Seed by the non - existent one , immediately burst forth and went upwards and hurried above from below , employing a sort of velocity described in poetry , —
and attained , he says , unto him that is nonexistent . For every nature desires that ( nonexistent one ) , on account of a superabundance of beauty and bloom . Each ( nature desires this ) , however , after a different mode . The more gross portion , however , ( of the Sonship ) continuing still in the Seed , ( and ) being a certain imitative ( principle ) , was not able to hurry upwards . For ( this portion ) was much more deficient in the refinement that the Sonship possessed , which through itself hurried upwards , ( and so the more gross portion ) was left behind . Therefore the more gross Sonship equipped itself with some such wing as Plato , the Preceptor of Aristotle , fastens on the soul in ( his ) Phædrus . And Basilides styles such , not a wing , but Holy Spirit ; and Sonship invested in this ( Spirit ) confers benefits , and receives them in turn . He confers benefits , because , as a wing of a bird , when removed from the bird , would not of itself soar high up and aloft ; nor , again , would a bird , when disengaged from its pinion , at any time soar high up and aloft ; ( so , in like manner , ) the Sonship involved some such relation in reference to the Holy Spirit , and the Spirit in reference to the Sonship . For the Sonship , carried upwards by the Spirit as by a wing , bears aloft ( in turn ) its pinion , that is , the Spirit . And it approaches the refined Sonship , and the non - existent God , even Him who fabricated the world out of nonentities . He was not , ( however , ) able to have this ( spirit ) with ( the Sonship ) itself ; for it was not of the same substance ( with God ) , nor has it ( any ) nature ( in common ) with the Sonship . But as pure and dry air is contrary to ( their ) nature , and destructive to fishes ; so , in contrariety to the nature of the Holy Spirit , was that place simultaneously of non - existent Deity and Sonship , — ( a place ) more ineffable than ineffable ( entities ) , and higher up than all names .
Sonship , therefore , left this ( spirit ) near that Blessed Place , which cannot be conceived or represented by any expression . ( He left the spirit ) not altogether deserted or separated from the Sonship ; nay , ( far from it , ) for it is just as when a most fragrant ointment is put into a vessel , that , even though ( the vessel ) be emptied ( of it ) with ever so much care , nevertheless some odour of the ointment still remains , and is left behind , even after ( the ointment ) is separated from the vessel ; and the vessel retains an odour of ointment , though ( it contain ) not the ointment ( itself ) . So the Holy Spirit has continued without any share in the Sonship , and separated ( from it ) , and has in itself , similarly with ointment , its own power , a savour of Sonship . And this is what has been declared : “ As the ointment upon the head which descended to the beard of Aaron . ” This is the savour from the Holy Spirit borne down from above , as far as formlessness , and the interval ( of space ) in the vicinity of our world . And from this the Son began to ascend , sustained as it were , says ( Basilides ) , upon eagles ’ wings , and upon the back . For , he says , all ( entities ) hasten upwards from below , from things inferior to those that are superior . For not one of those things that are among things superior , is so silly as to descend beneath . The third Sonship , however , that which requires purification , has continued , he says , in the vast conglomeration of all germs conferring benefits and receiving them . But in what manner it is that ( the third Sonship ) receives benefits and confers them , we shall afterwards declare when we come to the proper place for discussing this question .
Notes 1 Or, “of what sort of material substance,” etc.
2 Gen. i. 3.
3 Or, “being declared.”
4 John i. 9. [See translator’s important note (1), p. 7, supra.]
5 Literally, “throbbed.”
6 Odyssey, vii. 36.
7 See Plato, vol. i. p. 75 et seq., ed. Bekker. Miller has “Phædo;” an obvious mistake.
8 [Foretaste of Cent. IV.] Miller’s text has, instead of τοῦ οὐκ ὄντος (non-existent), οικοῦντος (who dwells above).
9 Ps. cxxxiii. 2.
